In 1870, Benedict Institute set out from humble beginnings in a dilapidated former slave master’s mansion to prepare men and women to be “powers for good in society.” In 1894, the mandate for continuing the legacy of providing quality education was passed on to Benedict College. From that time to the present, the College has remained true to its mission, vision, purpose and legacy. It has educated, graduated and trained over 10,000 leaders who have fulfilled their dreams and improved the lives of others through their research, service, and accomplishments.
Some of the successful graduates of Benedict College came to this institution with little more than desire and a willingness to work hard; others possessed some of the greatest minds in the nation.. Regardless of their educational preparation and social status, Benedict College accepted these students at their levels of reality and through its educational and support programs transformed their intellectual capacity to a world of unlimited possibilities. The proud and enduring legacy of this institution demonstrates that it has provided educational opportunities for high achieving students as well as the lower performing ones. Benedict’s unique mission mandates that it offers programs designed specifically to enable all students to “learn to be the best” so that they may give their best to their communities and to this global society. This has been and will continue to be the reason that Benedict College exists.
The Benedict College of today is the outcome of the sacrifices of a host of men and women who met the challenges of the previous century in which they lived and labored. The students, faculty, staff, administration, and other constituents proactively examine ways to remain on the cutting edge of delivering excellent educational programs and providing the technological and other support that are interwoven into the teaching, research and service components of the College’s mission. In the process of moving forward, however, the Self-Study process has allowed us the opportunity to place our on-going assessment of the College into the context of compliance with the Criteria of the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Our self-examination has been healthy and revealing. The results have reinforced our confidence in our ability to make a difference in the lives of those students who have, at best, limited opportunities for access to higher education. The results vividly portray Benedict College as a vibrant institution that is increasing its enrollment, improving the number and percentage of its faculty who possess terminal degrees, revising its curriculum, educational and support programs, upgrading its physical resources, expanding its student activities, preserving and safeguarding its fiscal resources, and enhancing programs that address the moral, cultural, social and intellectual development of our students.
The successes of the College have resulted in part
from an on-going process of assessment and using the results to improve
programs. All of the goals of the
College have yet to be implemented with one hundred percent accuracy. In other instances, the College fails to
comply fully with the criteria. The
strengths and weaknesses cited in the report have been discussed and
appropriate corrective actions have been undertaken. The report also shows faithful and dedicated faculty, staff,
students, administrators and other constituents working tirelessly to ensure
that the College remains true to its vision, its mission, and its legacy.
The College owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Juanita S. Scott, Self-Study Director, Dr. George Devlin, Chair, of the Steering Committee, Principal Committees, Special Committees, Ms. June Bouknight, Administrative Assistant to the Self-Study, and the entire College family for their tireless efforts and dedication to this major task. The College is gratified that all its constituents were involved in this effort including the Board of Trustees and the Administrative Cabinet.
Benedict College is on its way to becoming the best college in its class.
David H. Swinton, Ph.D.
President
| TABLE OF CONTENTS | |||||
| Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3 | Section 4 | Section 5 | Section 6 |
| Committees | Foreword | Introduction | Mission | Tables | Vision |
© 2001 Benedict College, 1600 Harden St., Columbia, SC 29204
Last Modified: February 25, 2001 1:38 PM